Foot-rest.



' C. E. CLARKE.

FOOT REST.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17, 190a.

' 956,681 Patented May 3, 1910.

4 a if; 52

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. CLARKE, OF WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PURITAN IVIANU"- FACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at inthrop, county of Suffolk, State of .Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Foot-Rests, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification. like numerals on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to pro vide a novel folding foot rest.

The invention has been especially designed for use in automobiles, although it is capable of being used in any vehicle or in any other place where it is desired at times to have a rest for a persons feet.

My improved foot rest is of such a character that it can be folded down flat against the floor or other support when it is not in use, or it may be raised up into a proper position to support a persons feet.

The invention is also of such a nature that when the foot rest is in its operative position to support a persons feet, pressure applied to the top of the rest will cause it to fold down against the floor or other suport.

p I will first describe one embodiment of my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the rest in position for use; Fig. 2 is a perspective View showing the foot rest folded; Fig. 3 is an end view showing the manner in which the foot rest is folded.

The foot rest comprises a foot-supporting member 3 which preferably has a flat face against which a person may rest his feet. This foot-supporting member may conveniently be made ofa piece of board, although it may be made of other material without departing from the invention. I prefer to make it comparatively thin, as shown in Fig. 2, and with the flat face a for supporting the feet. The foot-supporting member is pivotally sustained at each end on a pair of links 5, 6 which are pivoted to the floor or other support 7. These links have such a construction that the foot rest may be folded down flatly against the floor or support, as shown-in Fig. 2, or may be elevated into operative position, as shown in Fig. 1, with the face 4 thereof inclined properly to receive a persons feet.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 17, 1909.

FOOT-REST.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Serial No. 483,898.

The links 5, 6 are so constructed and arranged that they serve to firmly hold the rest in such inclined position. In the embodiment of the invention herein shown the link 5 of each pair is shorter than the link 6. Each link 5 is pivoted to the foot-supporting member at 8 comparatively near the edge 9 thereof, and the other link 6 of each pair is pivoted at 10 to said foot-supporting member comparatively near the center. The two links of each pair are pivoted to the base or floor at points 11 and 12 which are a greater distance apart than the pivotal points 8 and 10. The links have such a length relative to each other that when the rest is in its operative position, as shown in Fig. 1, the links 5 stand nearly parallel with the face of the rest, while the links 6 serve as braces to support the rest in its inclined position. When in this position the lower edge 9 of the foot-supporting member rests against the floor or support 7 and the latter thus makes a firm support for said edge while the links 6 make a firm support for the body of the member.

In using the device the person naturally applies the greatest weight to the member near the edge 9 and thus said member will be firmly held in its operative position. In order to fold the rest into the flat condition shown in Fig. 2, pressure is applied to the upper edge 16 thereof thus lifting the lower edge 9 05 from the floor and swinging it about the links 5, as shown in Fig. 3, until the member can move bodily about both links down against the floor, as shown in Fig. 2. The links may be pivoted to the floor or support and to the foot-supporting member in any suitable way without departing from my invention. WVhere the footsupporting member is made from a strip of board, it is convenient to secure to each end of the board a metal bracket 21 which is provided with a flange 22 that extends underneath the board. The links 5 and 6 may be pivoted to this metal bracket in any suitable way as by means of screws. For pivoting the links to the floor or other support I have shown herein the two base pieces 23 which are secured to the floor 7 and which are provided with bosses 24 to which the links 5 and 6 are pivoted. This particular manner of sustaining the foot-supporting member, however, is not essential to my invention.

Having fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a foot rest, the combination with a base or support, of two pairs of links pivoted thereto, and afoot-supporting member pivotally sustained by said links, the front link of each pair being shorter than the rear link and being of a length approximately equal to the distance between the front edge of the foot-supporting member and the point where said front link pivots thereto whereby the foot-supporting member may be folded flat against the base or may be swung into operative position with its front edge rest ing against the support or base substantially in line with the points where the shorter links pivot to the base and with said links extending substantially parallel to the plane of the foot-supporting member.

2. In a foot rest, the combination with a base or support, of a foot-supporting memher, a plurality of pairs of links pivotally connected to the foot-supporting member and also pivotally connected to the base or support, the link of each pair nearest the front edge of the foot-supporting member being longer than the other link of the pair and substantially equal to the distance between the front edge of the foot-supporting member and the point where said front link is pivoted thereto and the distance between the points where the links of each pair are pivoted to the foot-supporting member being less than the distance between the points where the links are pivoted to the support.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. CLARKE. Witnesses:

LoUIs C. SMITH, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND. 

